SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- Thirteen Biola runners competed at the 70^th Annual San Diego State Aztec Invitational on Saturday morning, and the 10 running for the women's side helped Biola take home first place in this event for the first time since 2011.
 
Just three Eagles ran for the men's contingent, leaving the team without the ability to register a team score. That did not hold back Kevin Horchler, as the senior outran everyone to take home the individual championship in the men's race.
 
This Aztec Invite is the first full-distance race on the schedule for Biola in 2014, and both sides appeared to be in midseason form already. The women's team performance stood out because of how consistent each of the runners were on the looping course at Tecolote Shores North Park on Mission Bay.

"We had a nice, competitive performance from everyone today, which was nice to see," said Head Coach Jonathan Zimmerman. "Kevin looked really smooth in taking control of, and winning, the men's race."
 
The women's team finished with 33 points total to edge out San Diego State (60) and CSU Northridge (71) in the top three. Biola placed three runners in the top-5, with Anika Gasner pacing the team with her second-place finish (19:03.90).
 
The rest of Biola's scoring runners finished within 46 seconds of Gasner, and they each finished inside the top-15 overall. The Eagles' top-7 finishers all finished inside the top-20 and were separated by a gap of just 1:03.
 
Carrie Soholt (19:27.40), Lyndee Dawson (19:28.90), Kellian Hunt (19:45.70) and Brooke Arvidson (19:50.10) rounded out Biola's top-5, and Stephanie Croy (19:56.30) was the sixth Biola runner to finish the 5k course under 20 minutes.

"The women's team ran well, and this was a breakthrough race for Anika Gasner," said Zimmerman. "Lyndee, Kellian and Brooke also did a great job running up front for us."
 
Horchler earned his first win of the season with a winning margin of 28 seconds. The leader of this young men's side posted a 26:48.80 to outpace Jack Evans, a freshman from Soka University, who finished second.
 
Wes Noyes and Hunter Johnson each competed in the second event of their Biola career and placed inside the top-10 in this 28-man field. They finished back-to-back in eighth and ninth, respectively.
 
Noyes recorded a 28:53.60 and Johnson posted a 29:01.20 to set the bar for their future 8k runs.

"Kevin, Wes and Hunter ran very well and in control. This was Wes' very first 8k," said Zimmerman.
 
The Eagles compete next Oct. 11 at the Vanguard Invitational.